Pittsburgh is no stranger to the Maker Movement. With maker spaces, tech shops, and a handful of co-working spaces, including Alloy 26, Makers can thrive in Pittsburgh. This special time in history has a transformative impact on our future, as makers have the ability to dream up ideas and move forward with building them.

One company in particular, and one of our Winter 2017 fellows, RealBotics, focuses on robotic interaction by creating a platform for people to share and interact with their creations.

We sat down with Chris, CEO and Founder of RealBotics to get the scoop on his product and how it fits into the Maker Movement.

Q: Talk about your startup journey – how did you get to where you are today?

A: I started work on RealBotics in 2008 during my last year in college. Since leaving high school, I had always wanted to start a robotics company. Until my last year in college, however, I did not know what kind of robotics company it was going to be. Then the idea hit me and I built the first prototype. From 2009 to 2015 I worked as an automation engineer and equipment designer for Alcoa. Throughout this time, I continued to work on RealBotics by evolving the idea and creating a mature prototype. RealBotics was incorporated in 2013, and we started to demo it at small events and fairs. In 2015 I left Alcoa to focus on RealBotics full-time. Over the last several months, we have started to take on small projects for clients and put the RealBotics platform to work. We’re currently continuing to test the platform with our early clients and just about ready to officially open the RealBotics platform to users and businesses.

Q: What is your product/business?

A: RealBotics is a software platform that allows you to remotely control or tel-operate devices and machines. If you have a situation where you want to be able to remotely control some kind of device from a computer or smart phone, RealBotics can help by connecting your device to realbotics.com, all for free.

Q: Tell us a little more about yourself, your background, and team (if applicable)

A: The RealBotics core team is Jay Berman, Kristin Quick, Curtis Sobien, and myself – we’re all engineers. We would not be where we are if it was not for many contractors, family, and friends that have contributed countless hours.

Q: What’s next for RealBotics?

A: The next step for RealBotics is to open the platform and begin to attract users and business. With growth, we plan to begin to hire technical staff to help with further development and client projects.

Q: What excites you most about working in Pittsburgh?

A: I think that we’re lucky to be part of the tech boom in Pittsburgh. It’s exciting to think about how much the Pittsburgh tech community could grow in the next five years and that we’re a part of it.

Alloy 26 Fellowship Program

Our fellowship program grants accepted companies the chance to join our inspiring space for a FREE six-months stay, with ZERO equity fees, and no obligation to stay after the program ends.